A Foundation- and Its Art

An essay on an Art Collection- at the Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains in Montrose, PA. - Brian Keeler

The art of collecting art takes many forms and fills a variety of personal needs for those who add art to their homes.   It takes on a wider meaning when paintings become part of a collection that is also a community foundation with a mission of creating financial support for regional organizations.  Such is the case with Earle Wootton and Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains with its home in Montrose, PA.  This article is part of a series that I have been doing over the past several years where I explore the motivations and appreciations of those who collect my art- and the art of others.

Above- Earle Wootton with two of the paintings by the author that are displayed on the second floor of the 1860 house that is the home of the Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains. Earle is the Chairman of the Board of the foundation and one of the founders.

Support for Community- Support for the Arts

Art requires patronage and support. In my career the support has come most frequently from individuals.  Businesses, corporations, a couple of museums and foundations have also come into the mix as well.  When looking at the history of art in America we can observe the way various government programs like the WPA (Works Progress Administration), a program initiated in 1935 by FDR, or the National Endowment for the Arts and many others actively have contributed. Or we can go back further to Europe in the Medieval era or Renaissance when the church was the main patron of artists and architects. But for the most part, today the support comes from individuals.  So part of the goal in these essays on collectors is to show how art is important to them and how it becomes integral and often an heirloom that goes through generations.

 The Wootton's, Earle and his wife June, have been immersed in the region in a variety of ways for many years.  Earl's previous work, which brought him into contact with a wide regional audience, was as the publisher of the Montrose Independent, a weekly paper that he assumed the helm of in 1974 after the death of his father, Earl E. Wooton.  Earle, the younger. operated the paper until 1997 when he sold the business to the Scranton Times. So, as I also come from a weekly newspaper family this commonality was a nice connection.

June Wootton has been involved regionally in many beneficial activities over her life.  For example, she helped found "Camp Hope," an organization affiliated with Lourde's Hospital in Binghamton, NY. She was involved with this for 18 years.  June is an RN and she's been a hospice volunteer for over 40 years.  She and Earl usually decide on the art for their home and the foundation as a team.

Above- An oil painting by the author depicting a street scene in Lambertville, NJ. This work is now in the collection of the Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains in Montrose, PA.

A Vision Realized in Architecture and Community - with Art

This brings us to Earle's vision, which is this community-based organization and the restored house that is the home of the foundation.  This1860 Italianate features a beautiful colonnaded porch with interesting double cornices under the eves with a basic white paint on the exterior bringing out the purity of the design. Many of us grew up in towns of the northeast with these historic homes in our neighborhoods and took them for granted. Now we see their uniqueness and the American legacy they represent.  In one of the rooms (on the second floor) of this spacious interior Earle has placed two of my large paintings and one smaller townscape that depict views of the region. Art worked into the vision of a community organization needs to augment the vision of the collector while supporting the mission of the foundation.  So it is an honor that Earle found the right canvases for this purpose.

A note about the process of acquisition for this foundation is worth considering. There is a policy that the foundation itself does not purchase art. This mandate is to avoid even the appearance of impropropriety. Earle says the supporters expect their contributions to go directly to charitable projects and may not approve of their donations being spent in this way. So the art has to be given to the foundation. That does not mean, however, that artists have to donate their creations. Often what happens is that an intermediary patron will purchase the paintings and then the art will be given to the foundation.

Earle says that the interior needed something, namely paintings, that would enliven the bare walls.

Earle grew up next door to this remarkable house and as it deteriorated over the years its restoration into the foundation's home became a natural extension of their mission.  The house had many owners over the years, so it was not really known as some old houses are by the name of the early owners or builders.    The restoration was a huge project over many years with the results being a truly beautiful accomplishment.

The house was purchased by Earle and June in 1998 and the work finished in 2010. An architect from Scranton, Thomas Horlacher, was brought in to design the updates, and he created tasteful and beautiful additions and alterations.   There are major rooms that have been added on the ground floor including a spacious kitchen and dining area as well as a meeting room.  These additions are done very beautifully and fit in seamlessly with the 19th century part of the house.  The floors have been completely replaced throughout with a beautiful dark wood Brazilian cherry.  Chair rails have been added for protection on the walls but these too have the look of the period.  A major change was made on the third floor where the floor was removed and a large skylight added, thereby creating an open atrium on the level.  This alteration made for a spacious atrium area and it was also done with consideration for how it would complement the house and convert it from a residence into an office space, board rooms and event space. The museum-like atmosphere of the house recalls other similar repurposing of historic properties such as the Phelps Mansion Museum in Binghamton, NY or even the Frick Museum in New York CIty.

Above- The exterior of the 1860 house that is now the home of the foundation. The historic house has been completely restored with some additions and alterations that are integrated into the original design.

  The Artists in the Collection-

It is on the second floor where the foundation's offices and some of the meeting rooms are located.  And it is here where most of the art is displayed.  The foundation has other historical works, some photos of the Nicholson Viaduct and some other prints. They also have a collage by another local artist, Sonji Lee.  The deep hues, muted blues and reds of the interior make for a museum-like ambiance.  The low chroma blue of the walls serve as a perfect background color. Earle's office displays a wonderful reproduction behind the desk, a large Rembrandt painting of a portrait of a wizened-looking bearded man in a hat.

Among the artists whose work caught my eye during a recent tour of the house were paintings by a Montrose artist, the late Jim Webber.  I had not heard of Jim before so it is always a pleasant surprise to discover a new artist whose work I like.  He has two paintings of the famous viaducts in this section of Pennsylvania- the one in Starrucca, PA and the other one in Nicholson, PA.  Those iconic and historic railroad bridges are part of our local heritage.  And Jim's paintings capture these structures well. He has another landscape with a barn that is reminiscent of another Pennsylvania artist of the 20th century,  that being Eric Sloan.

There is a nice copy of the famous painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware by the artist from Cuba, Luis Mesa.  The original is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  There is also a large silk screen that is displayed in a stairwell by Karen Farmer.  This work includes text provided by Earle that expresses the aspirations for the foundation. And there is a wonderful photo of the exterior of the house, a winter nocturne by Kurt Van Zandbergen

There is a wonderful still life, a large reproduction of an original painting by an artist, Severin Rosen, in the foundation's collection. Rosen is another Pennsylvania artist hailing from Williamsport, PA where he is known to have worked from 1860 to 1872. This work has the unique distinction of being associated with Jacqueline Kennedy as she purchased one of this artist's work for the White House collection.

Above- a painting by Jim Webber depicting a winter view of the Starrucca Viaduct.

The foundation itself was formed in 1997 by Earl Wooten and Bill Lewis.  They were given important assistance through a similar organization, The Williamsport/Lycoming Community Foundation. 

Currently there are 12 staff members at the foundation.  The mandate of the foundation covers a range of endeavors from financial support to grants to schools, charities and other non-profits.  They had an impressive year of philanthropy last year with a total of $12 million awarded.  The concentration is within Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties and sometimes neighboring counties.

An annual magazine is published by the foundation that serves to recap their accomplishments for the year. This annual report is in its 26th iteration and is available to visitors and benefactors. It is a beautiful publication, nicely designed with many well written articles on the outreach projects of the foundation. The cover of the current issue is shown at the bottom of this article.

So this remarkable success story of historic preservation and a vital community organization that benefits many with a collection of regional art is truly something to commend.  

NOTE- To view an interview with Earle Wootton done by Brian Keeler on September 17, 2026 go to the following link. Earle explains about the history and purpose of the Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains. https://youtu.be/H4n4Smeye54?si=J7fMO468aII1CKkR

A silk screen fabric creation by Karen Farmer of Montrose- it includes text from Earl describing the aspirations of the foundation. This hangs in the stairwell of the new section of the house.

Above- The current cover of the annual magazine published by the foundation.